Miyazaki House: activities, plans and challenges

miayazaki

by Mariko Kage

When our small group began efforts to save the Miyazaki House (MH) in Lillooet two years ago, my father Tatsuo Kage, advised me to contact Betty Inouye, the daughter of Dr. Miyazaki. When I first called Betty, I was pleasantly surprised when she said, “I know your parents. I worked with your mom years ago and remember you as a teenager!” (My mother Diane Kage worked for the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC which worked with the Heritage Language Association in Kamloops and the Kamloops Multicultural Society, where Betty was actively involved, and they attended meetings together in Vancouver.)

Betty expressed her deep concern for the future of MH, asking, “What will happen to the house? That was my home. Will someone live in the house? Otherwise, it will deteriorate.” We shared her concern as we could already see it happening.

Our Society regularly updated and consulted with Betty and her family over the following two years and she became our mentor and moral support. I cherish our conversations and time together in her Kamloops home. She recalled that, “There were times I had to give up my bed because one of Dad’s patients needed it. Dad gifted the house because he loved the people of Lillooet.” This was just one of the many memories she shared with us.

This past spring we learned there was no district budget to open Miyazaki House to the public during tourist season. It took the tremendous efforts of many dedicated volunteers to complete the repairs necessary for the fire inspection.. We successfully negotiated district approval for Miyazaki House to host a Fundraising concert in July plus six more concerts, an Art Show, and an Aikido demonstration and Seminar over the summer. Our volunteers have kept the House open five days a week for tours for the steady flow of visitors from around the world. We took Betty’s advice to heart, “Hold community events in the House and gardens like the way people used to. Then the people can connect with the House.” Thank you Betty for all your wisdom and common sense.

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Dr. Miyazaki is an inspiration, respected throughout the community for his selfless service, his many accomplishments and his exemplary character and integrity towards people of all cultures and backgrounds. He was living proof that tragedies and injustice of war and racial strife can be overcome with goodwill and fellowship and that ultimately, all people can live in harmony and meaningful existence together.

The Miyazaki House Society is committed to honouring this humanitarian pioneer in the multicultural history of this nation. Miyazaki House is a Lillooet treasure with a strong connection to Japanese history in Canada. As a friend of the late Betty Inouye, and a member of the Japanese Canadian community, I feel a moral obligation to preserve this symbol of our shared cultural heritage. It is a worthwhile goal and I am honoured to be working with our small but dedicated and growing group of volunteers.

This year, the Society is a grateful recipient of $3,000 from the Endowment Fund of the National Association of Japanese Canadians through their Cultural Development Program. The project will create an educational video about the history of MH and the legacy of Dr. Miyazaki. Through community interviews it will document and preserve the memories and history of Miyazaki House and assist us in raising awareness to a much wider audience. The chosen format will be globally accessible via new digital and social media. This summer, with support from NAJC and Lillooet Chamber of Commerce, MHS members also designed and printed a series of six Miyazaki House postcards as a fundraiser.

20140824_151253But this is just the beginning for our Society. In order to keep the House open year-round, we must replace the old furnace. There are also significant interior and exterior repairs on the House required to reverse deterioration and maintain structural integrity.

Will you work with us to honour the legacy and memory of Betty Inouye and the Miyazaki family? We need to hear from our friends across the country with ideas, suggestions and examples of ways to achieve our goals. We need assistance with funding sources and applications.

Please contact us at info@miyazakihouse.com, to join our society, to order our postcards, and if you have any questions. Donations can be sent to Miyazaki House Society at Box 587, Lillooet, BC, V0K 1V0, and the MHS is a registered non-profit society in BC. Our website is www.miyazakihouse.com.

Mariko Kage is a co-founder/president of Miyazaki House Society since 2013 and Director of the Miyazaki House Documentation Project